To minister to the needs of the growing community of faithfuls, the Church of North India (CNI) is building two new churches for the city’s Christians to perform routine religious acts.

While the new Emanuel Church (capacity 1,000) is coming up at Kestopur, off Baguiati, in the north-east, the other, the Church of Epiphany, with identical capacity, is coming up at Thakurpukur, south of the city.

“We notice an increase in the congregation in the new localities that are being developed with the expansion of the city. This is the first time in the past 100 years that we will build two big churches in the city. People of the community will benefit to a great extent,” said Rev P.S.P. Raju, Bishop of the Calcutta diocese of the CNI and also chairman of Calcutta Diocese Trust Association Private, the body controlling all the properties owned by the CNI in Calcutta. The association has undertaken the construction of the new churches.

The Roman Catholic Church, too, is planning a new church in Picnic Garden. Father Patrick Rodrigues, an official in the Archbishop’s House of the Roman Catholics, said more people have moved to the southern part of the city, which is why they are planning to build a big church at Picnic Garden.

At present, there are about 22 churches under the CNI and 20 under the Roman Catholic Church in Calcutta and in the adjoining districts, sources in the two denominations say.

Bishop Raju said that over the years, the CNI had constructed a few small churches in the districts, mostly in the remote belts. “The ones we had built in the districts were small churches. The ones coming up at Kestopur and Thakurpukur are full-fledged churches and resemble any of the big churches in the city,” he said.

The new structures may not be replicas of St Paul’s Cathedral or St John’s Church, near Raj Bhavan, but they will definitely have some similarity with these two landmarks. For example, the towers and the belfry will be similar.

While the Emanuel Church at Kestopur is expected to be ready in September 2004, the Church of Epiphany at Thakurpukur will be completed next year, CNI officials said.

Over Rs 52 lakh was earmarked initially by the CNI for the two churches — the bulk of the amount being generated by utilising the existing resources of the church. While Rs 25 lakh is being spent on the Thakurpukur church, Rs 27 lakh has been earmarked for the Kestopur edifice. Christians of the respective localities, too, have chipped in.